KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The three-peat dream is alive — and a win against the Philadelphia Eagles from fruition.
The Kansas City Chiefs became the first two-time reigning Super Bowl champion to return to the big game with a chance at a three-peat with a 32-29 victory Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
No other repeat Super Bowl champion has ever returned to play for the Lombardi Trophy in that third year — until now.
“We headed to New Orleans to make history,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said as he was presented with the Lamar Hunt Trophy on the field after the game.
The Chiefs also became the first team in NFL history to reach five Super Bowls in a six-season span. Kansas City had been tied with Buffalo (1990-93) and the 2014-18 New England Patriots as the only teams to reach four Super Bowls in a five-season span entering Sunday.
Fittingly, the difference was Harrison Butker’s 35-yard field goal — a three-point kick — with 3:33 remaining.
Now, for the first time in NFL history, a team will take the field with a chance to secure a three-peat — and they remain on a mission.
“When it comes down to it — all the confetti, all that's great, nothing like doing it with your home fans — but it's going to come down to a football game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “The team that prepares and makes the least amount of mistakes will come out the victor, so you make sure that you keep your head right and bear down”
FOURTH-QUARTER FOURTH DOWNS
Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill knew what was coming.
The Buffalo Bills had already converted three fourth downs in the second half and were lining up to go for it again at the Kansas City Chiefs 41-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Josh Allen had just converted four plays earlier and would try again, but the Chiefs’ linebacker tandem stood up the Bills star for a critical turnover on downs.
"That play's been automatic for him all year long," Tranquill, who tied for the team lead with nine tackles, said. "We know when it gets third-and-1, fourth-and-1, third-and-2, that they like to go there; they like to go left. They're not trying to trick anybody. We had a strategy. We executed it and were able to get some key stops."
Kansas City didn't stop Allen short by much, but the call was upheld after review.
“Literally, a game of inches today, and we were lucky to be on that side of it where we had the most inches,” Reid said.
Five plays later, Patrick Mahomes bowled his way into the end zone from 10 yards out — his second rushing touchdown of the game — as Kansas City retook the lead.
The score marked the first time in Mahomes’ 132 career games, regular and postseason, that he ran for two touchdowns.
“Whatever he's got to do to get us to the next level or to win the game, Pat's going to do it,” said Travis Kelce, who caught two passes for 19 yards. “If it's putting his body on the line or giving it to somebody else for them to do it, that's why he's the ultimate competitor.”
The Chiefs led 29-22 after a two-point conversion from Mahomes to Justin Watson in the back of the end zone.
Kansas City’s defense forced another fourth-down on the ensuing drive, but Curtis Samuel found himself all alone in the back of the end zone and Allen didn’t miss, rifling a 4-yard touchdown pass that — after a Tyler Bass extra point — knotted the game at 29-29 with 6:15 remaining.
THE FINAL FOURTH DOWN
After the Chiefs took the lead on Butker's field goal, Allen and company had their chance to exorcise past playoff demons.
Instead, Kansas City has now ended four of Buffalo's last five seasons in the playoffs.
It came down to fourth-and-5 at the Bills' 47-yard line and Steve Spagnuolo did what he does — dial up pressure.
"We knew it was gonna be a battle," Tranquill said. "They made plays down the stretch. ... They made some key plays on fourth down, but we were able to make just enough plays to get the ball back in that guy's hands over there (gestures toward Mahomes). And when the ball gets in his hands, it's pretty good outcome."
Flushed from the pocket, Allen heaved a ball deep downfield, giving tight end Dalton Kincaid a chance to extend the drive — and the game — but the ball fell harmlessly to the turf and sent Chiefs Kingdom into rapture.
As he watched the play, all defensive tackle Chris Jones could think was: “I hope this guy don't catch this ball, please. I'm tired. Get us off the field. It’s fourth down.”
Buffalo finished 4 of 6 on fourth down.
Moments later, Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt would hoist the trophy with his father's name on it — the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is awarded annually to the AFC champion — for the fifth time, all in the last six seasons.
IN MAHOMES WE TRUST
Kansas City only went for one fourth down, but it was a big one.
Midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs trailed 10-7 and faced fourth-and-1 at their own 39-yard line.
Reid has been conservative most of the season in such situations, opting to punt and trust his defense, but for once it was Kansas City that needed to push the envelope on offense to steal an extra possession.
After a timeout, the called a QB rollout to the right with a couple options for Mahomes to choose from, but he called his own number for a 6-yard scramble with Buffalo playing man coverage and turning their backs on him.
“Coach Reid trusted us,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, you roll out and you want to throw it to a couple guys. But when you can run it, you can run it. You just take it, and it's a big moment in the game, and we're able to go down and get points out of that.”
Seven plays later, Xavier Worthy took a short pass in the flats, turned on the jets and dove for the pylon for an 11-yard touchdown that put the Chiefs back in front.
Worthy finished with six catches for 85 yards and that touchdown.
Mahomes finished 18 of 26 for 245 yards and a touchdown, but he also added 11 carries for 43 yards and two scores on the ground — more yards and touchdowns than Allen.
PERFECT START
Kansas City was ruthlessly efficient to start the game.
The defense forced a three-and-out — dropping a pair of possible interceptions — before the offense went 90 yards on nine plays on its opening drive.
Patrick Mahomes completed all four passes for 61 yards, including a 31-yard dart to JuJu Smith-Schuster and two throws to Hollywood Brown.
Kareem Hunt, who had three carries for 22 yards on the drive, scored a 12-yard touchdown to cap the drive.
Buffalo answered with a field goal on its next drive. Tyler Bass capped a 10-play march with a 53-yard drive into the wind to make it 7-3.
TURNOVER STREAK ENDS
Kansas City hadn’t committed a turnover since a Week 11 loss at Buffalo.
The Chiefs had gone an NFL-record eight straight games without giving the ball away on offense until Mahomes and running back Isiah Pacheco flubbed an RPO exchange approaching the Bills’ red zone.
Buffalo made Kansas City pay for the mistake, too.
Josh Allen engineered a 10-play, 72-yard drive that featured two long third-down conversions before James Cook put the Bills in front for the first time (10-7) with a 6-yard touchdown run.
REMIGIO HELPS PROVIDE BREATHING ROOM
The Chiefs, who didn’t punt in the first half, immediately retook the lead with an 11-play touchdown drive capped by Worthy’s 11-yard touchdown run.
After a three-and-out, return specialist Nikko Remigio, who set the tone against Houston in the AFC Divisional Round with a 63-yard kickoff return to start the game, ripped off a 41-yard punt return.
"That's all you ever want as a competitor," Remigio said when asked about the chance to contribute. "I really give kudos to Coach (Dave) Toub and Coach (Andy) Hill and Coach Reid for putting me in a position to be successful. They wouldn't have put me out there if they didn't believe in me, and I can't thank them enough for just believing in me."
Six plays later, and after Worthy outwrestled safety Cole Bishop for a 26-yard completion on a 50/50 heave by Mahomes, Kansas City’s three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback bowled over Damar Hamlin for a 1-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead.
AMAZING MACK
Buffalo found a foothold with a desperate two-minute drive.
With the Chiefs set to get the second-half kickoff, the Bills needed an answer and Allen delivered it with a 34-yard touchdown bomb to Mack Hollins, which capped a 73-yard drive.
After a penalty on the extra point, Buffalo moved the ball to the Kansas City 1-yard line and tried for a two-point conversion.
But Jaylen Watson snatched the ball from Curtis Samuel and the attempt failed, leaving the Chiefs in front 21-16 at halftime.
BILLS GET COOKIN’
Kansas City failed to capitalize on receiving the second-half kickoff when a promising drive stalled after Matt Milano ran down Mahomes for a 5-yard sack that forced a punt rather than a long field goal try.
Buffalo then retook the lead — 22-21 — with a 12-play drive that featured two fourth-down conversions.
Allen picked up the first one with a 3-yard keeper from the Chiefs’ 33-yard line.
The Bills converted fourth-and-goal from the 1 when Allen ran an option to the right and pitched it to James Cook, who went airborne as linebacker Nick Bolton arrived but managed to extend the ball across the goal line for the go-ahead score.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs have won nine straight postseason games, which tied for second all-time with the 1961-67 Green Bay Packers.
Only the 2001-05 New England Patriots have ever won more consecutive playoff games (10).
Kansas City is the first team to head to a Super Bowl vying for a three-peat and only the fourth team in NFL history to play in at least three consecutive Super Bowls — joining the 1971-97 Miami Dolphins, the 1990-93 Bills and 2016-18 Patriots.
The Chiefs will face the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, which Kansas City won 38-35.
WAS TAYLOR SWIFT AT THE GAME?
Would you miss the game if your boyfriend was playing for a Super Bowl berth?
Taylor Swift, who has been dating Kelce for nearly 18 months, attended the game with her mom and Kelce’s mom.
The Chiefs are 19-3 when Swift is in attendance during the last two seasons and have won 14 consecutive games dating back to Christmas 2023.
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